Destiny's Way: A Prequel to Knights of the New Republic
by Spotsylvania
Summary: Supreme Chancellor Sion Visar is thrust back into the ancient past by a malfunctioning hyperdrive. He must help Revan, Carth, Bastila, and the others to get back to his own time, but Darth Malak stands in his way. Will Sion's presence change the course of events and will anyone return with him to the present if they get out of this alive?
1. Chapter 1

Crisis on the Leviathan: A Prequel to Knights of the New Republic

Supreme Chancellor Sion Visar was into the fourth year of his first term as the newly restored Republic's chief executive. It had been a long hard road since Darth Krayt's death, but the galaxy was at last starting to heal. Hyperspace trading routes were monitored by a huge and elite Republic and Imperial fleet. Sion had taken great pains to establish friendly relations with every single system in the galaxy. His diplomatic corps took responsibility for it, and the Senate's cooperation had made legislation and otherwise governing the Republic much smoother than in the past. The Chancellor's control of the military and his popularity with the people united the galaxy in the journey to recovery.

Sion had moved the Republic capital to Corellia, which he felt was a more peaceful and appropriate location. He lived in the Capital Tower in a penthouse which was upstairs from his large office, and it gave him easy access to Coronet's government district where the Senate was based. He was relaxing one weekend night and decided to go for a ride in his black starfighter. Sion temporarily left Corellia's orbit and cruised around in open space. He was enjoying this until he felt the hyperdrive in his fighter start to malfunction. The Jedi Master desperately tried to fix it, but was launched into hyperspace…

After a terrifying time of uncertainty, Sion's starfighter emerged suddenly near Taris. The controls were all over the place and it was all he could do to crash-land on the planet's city surface. He shook the cobwebs from his head as he got out of his plane and inspected the damage. It was nothing major, but he needed to have some repairs done and get a new hyperdrive.

He looked up and saw a half-dozen men in grayish-black armor approach him.

One of them asked him a question, "You, civilian, what brings you here to Taris? The Sith have a quarantine on this world and no one arrives or departs without proper authorization."

Sion was puzzled as he thought to himself, _What the hell is going on here? Taris is cooperating with the Republic military. There is no Sith presence here._

He decided to show this man he meant business, "I don't need to explain myself to you. I'm just a simple traveler whose ship went crazy on him. Nothing more."

The Sith leader was not pleased by his explanation, "You will come with us. I have no doubt you are working for the Republic, and we do not tolerate subterfuge."

Seeing that this couldn't end well, he decided to use a mind trick. It didn't work as the Sith took out a vibroblade along with the others, "You'll pay for that, you insignificant little rat!"

Sion saw two men running towards him in the distance, perhaps to help or hurt him. He didn't know which, but acted fast. With a small wave of his hand, all of the Sith soldiers were thrown onto their backs.

They were quick to recover, but the distraction allowed Sion to bury his fist into their leader's face. With the power of the Force behind the blow, the man was knocked unconscious. The soldiers backed away from Sion as the two men in the distance had finally arrived. They thought discretion was the better part of valor and dragged their commander's unconscious form away. The Chancellor was furious as he yelled at them, "Tell your friends there's more where that came from!"

One of the two men looked at him, "Are you alright? Those Sith have been treating the people here very badly. They'll probably be after you for what you did."

Sion rolled his eyes, "I've fought Sith lords before. They don't faze me in the slightest. That was one of the reasons why I was elected Chancellor."

The first man, who had slight facial hair and was dressed like a pilot, had a look of surprise on his face, "You're the Supreme Chancellor?!"

"In the flesh. I'm Sion Visar, and I still don't know how the hell I got here in the first place," Sion answered with a twinge of sarcasm.

The pilot looked at him with suspicion, but seemed to buy what the Chancellor had said, "I'm Carth Onasi, and this man with me is Daran Kenzer. We're soldiers with the Republic, and we crash-landed on Taris just like you did. Don't you know it's dangerous for the Chancellor to be in Sith territory."

Sion paled when he heard the man's name, "I must have hit my head harder than I thought. Did you just say your name was Carth Onasi?"

"Yes, what's so weird about that?" Carth was puzzled. The Chancellor then realized that the hyperspace jump may have done more than just take him to Taris, "Carth, is there a Sith lord by the name of Darth Malak who's trying to take over the Republic?"

"You must be a really stinky Chancellor if you didn't know that already," the second man confirmed his suspicions.

Sion shook his head, _This is just great! I go out for a cruise and I end up over 4,000 years in the past. Why me?! Maybe I'm supposed to do something, especially considering Revan is right across from me._

He spoke out loud, "I guess I'm a bit behind the times, literally. Obviously, I need to get off this planet, and you two need help. So what do you say if I join you?"

Revan/Daran smirked, "How fitting… The Supreme Chancellor needs our help."

Carth glared at Daran, "We need any help we can get. We'll be happy if you could join us, Sion. There is a Jedi we're looking for. Her name is Bastila, and we have to find her before we can think of leaving Taris."

Sion thought about whether he should use his knowledge of the past to help, and decided to do so, "I know where she is. She's being held captive by some nitwits called the Black Vulkars as a prize for a swoop race. Let's get going and find her!"

Daran smiled, "I like the sound of that."

Carth stopped them, "Wait a minute! We can't just go barreling through the Vulkar base. We don't even know where it is, and we'll get killed. Besides, how do you know all of this?"

The Chancellor tried to explain, "Don't ask me how I know. I just do. If you want to question my motives and annoy me, well that's not going to help you find Bastila. And I'm a Jedi Master. I can take care of some idiots who think they're hot stuff."

"I'm beginning to like this guy even more," Revan said to Carth.

"You don't even know where their base is?" Carth complained again.

Sion paused for a moment, _He hated to admit it, but Carth was right. He didn't know where the base was, but he did remember from his studies of this time period where the Sith base was_… "I tell you what, you two go and find the Black Vulkar base, and I'll infiltrate the Sith base and get the launch codes we'll need to escape," he suggested.

"That's a suicide mission!" Carth was still being difficult.

Daran took him by the arm, "He's a Jedi Master. If anyone can do it, he can. Besides, we'll knock out two things at once. Let's go and try to find the base."

Sion watched as they walked to the turbolift that would take them to the Lower City. He knew he would have to tell Daran that he was really Revan sooner rather than later.


	2. Chapter 2

It wasn't hard for Sion to knock out the two guards protecting the Sith base with the Force. He stole the armor off one and put it on before using the guard's access code to enter the base itself. It was easy going as the Chancellor walked in plain sight without anyone being the wiser. After a half hour of looking, he found the turbolift that would take him up to the Sith governor who had the codes. He convinced the guards that he had a scouting report for the governor on Bastila and was allowed to go in.

_Too easy, _Sion thought as he went up.

The door opened and the Sith governor stood before him. His advanced Force sense told him the intruder was not Sith, "Why are you here? Has my master sent me a challenge?"

"No, but I'll spare your life if you give me the launch codes," Sion offered.

"The arrogance of you, to speak to me like that! I shall gut you like the sniveling womp rat you are!" the governor lunged at him with his vibroblade.

The Chancellor easily dodged his attack and ignited his lightsaber. He didn't want to kill if he didn't have to, but the governor's constant striking left him with little choice. Sion ducked a blow and plunged his saber into the man's gut. The governor screamed in pain and died almost instantly.

"Such a shame. There was no need for it to be this way…" he sighed as he picked up the datapad containing the launch codes and went back to the turbolift. After fifteen minutes or so, Sion was out of the Sith base and on his way to the Lower City.

Meanwhile, Carth and Daran had tracked down the Twilek Mission Vao and helped rescue her Wookiee friend Zaalbar. She knew how to get them into the Vulkar base, but Daran wanted to let the Chancellor know what had happened.

He contacted Sion on his commlink, "Sion, this is Daran. We found the base and picked up a couple of new companions. Did you get the launch codes?"

Sion smiled as he sat drinking a glass of Tarisian whiskey, "I got the launch codes, Daran. Where are you exactly?"

"We're in the sewers of the Undercity just outside the base entrance. Can you get here soon?" "I'll be there as fast as I can. The alcohol here sucks anyway. See you in a few. By the way, there's something I need to tell you in private. Believe me, you'll want to know this…"

Daran tried to talk again, but Sion's commlink went dead, "That's weird. What would he want to tell me?"

Carth overheard him, "Sion knows something about you?"

"Yeah, he wants to tell me in private. Anyway, he said he'll be down here soon."

"Who are we talking about?" Mission asked.

"His name is Sion Visar, and he claims to be a Jedi Master and the Supreme Chancellor," Carth was still very suspicious about the newcomer.

"Oh, come on! It's obvious he's a Jedi Master, and who's to say he's not Chancellor as well?" Revan defended Sion.

Carth shook his head as Mission became excited, "If that's true, then he'll be one hell of an ally!"

It took Sion a good hour to make his way into the sewers. Using Revan's Force signature to guide him, he finally saw his party.

"Nice of you to finally show up," an impatient Mission remarked.

"So you must be Mission Vao, and that big-ass Wookiee is Zaalbar?" Sion greeted them.

"Wait, how do you know our names?" the Twilek was stunned.

The Chancellor grinned, "I know a great many things about the events to come. All of you will find my knowledge beneficial, especially you, Daran."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Carth couldn't take it anymore, "I want some answers from you!"

Sion looked cross, "I've only been on this planet for a few hours and I already don't like you. You want to know the truth? Fine! Everything I said to you has been honest, but I am not from this time. I should be over 4,000 years in the future relaxing in my penthouse on Corellia, but my starfighter cruise sent me into hyperspace and here. I can't make this stuff up, and now it seems helping you is my only way home…"

Everyone was shocked at Sion's outburst. There was stunned silence until Daran spoke up, "I believe you. I've been experiencing some weird things myself lately. So you know everything that will happen? Does that mean we can change things?"

"Yes, and the worst of it happens to you and Bastila. I intend to keep that from happening," he replied.

"This is a lot to take in, but I'm willing to trust you," Mission backed him.

"Didn't you just hear him, Mission? He lied to us about who he was. How can you say that you trust him?" Carth demanded.

Daran had enough at this point, "Look Carth. We can keep arguing, or we can team up and continue with what we have to do. It's your choice."

The pilot considered his words for a moment, "Fine, but I don't trust you, Sion. I'll be keeping my eye on you."

"You're an idiot," Sion muttered under his breath, making Daran and Mission laugh. All of them went through the entrance to the base to free Bastila.

It was very easy going for the group of five as they cut their way through the base. The Vulkars that weren't taken out by Sion were dispatched by Daran, Carth, Mission, or Zaalbar.

"So what do you know about Bastila," a curious Daran asked the Jedi Master during a lull in the fighting.

"I can tell you that she's a bit ornery, arrogant, and infuriating, but underneath all that is a woman just looking to make herself happy. I look forward to meeting her," Sion answered him. "Hmm, sounds interesting," Daran was intrigued.

The five of them kept hacking and shooting away until Sion finally sensed Bastila's faint Force presence, "She's near. Could be in the next room, which means Brejik is too."

There was a large durasteel door blocking their way.

"It's too thick to cut through. We have to find another way," Carth told everyone.

"Once again, you're an idiot," Sion shoved the pilot out of the way and concentrated his Force powers on ripping the door away. After a brief time, the door began to come loose.

The Jedi motioned to his party, "Cover me as I get rid of the door. I don't want to be on the receiving end of blaster fire from some amateur punks."

They all nodded and started pouring blaster fire through the gaps as Sion succeeded in removing the door and setting it against the wall. Fortunately for him, his companions' fire sent the Black Vulkars inside scurrying for cover.

Revan led the way into the massive room, firing all the way. Carth, Mission, and Zaalbar followed, adding their firepower to the mix. At last Sion came in, lightsaber ignited and spoiling for a fight. The Vulkars ran and took cover behind a shielded doorway.

Brejik leered at his enemies from behind the shield, "As you can see, we are behind an impregnable shield. Your pathetic attempt to rescue Bastila has failed, and I'm going to sell her into slavery for a proper price."

Carth could see Bastila in the corner of the room, kept in a state of drowsiness by a neural inhibitor, "We have to do something! Any ideas?"

Sion walked up to the shield and glared at Brejik, "Don't make the mistake of underestimating my power. I usually think the people back home who call me the most powerful Jedi in the galaxy are testing my modesty, but I have no problem proving them right. Let Bastila go and your lives will be spared. If you don't, well, you really don't want to find out the answer to that." The Vulkar leader seemed a bit shaken by the Chancellor's words, but regained his composure, "I don't think so. This lovely woman will fetch a great price."

"I might have something to say about that, Brejik," Bastila had awoken and quickly freed herself from the cage. She killed a guard in the process and retrieved his sword in the process, "Never underestimate the power of a Jedi. That's a mistake you won't live to regret."

Mission used the opportunity to deactivate the shield, allowing everyone to swarm in and attack the Vulkars. The fight did not last long, as Bastila and Revan simultaneously swung at Brejik with their blades, killing him instantly.

Once the fight had ended, Bastila turned to her rescuers, "I'll have you know that I rescued myself, and I am not some prize to win. Although I wouldn't have been able to free myself if all of you hadn't showed up, so I guess I owe you thanks for that."

Daran didn't like this at all, "We risked our lives to save you, and this is your reaction?! You're the most sorry excuse for a Jedi I've ever seen.

Bastila got mad at that, "How can you say that to me?! I'm your commanding officer! I am the leader of this group, and I will get us off Taris."

She then noticed Sion's hooded black robes and the lightsaber in his hand, "You have the look of a Jedi about you. Who are you?"

"I go by the name of Sion Visar, and I am the Supreme Chancellor and a Jedi Master. How I ended up here is beyond me…" Sion answered her question.

"What do you mean, how you ended up here?"

"Let's just say that I crossed the space-time continuum and leave it at that. I belong 4,000 years in the future in my penthouse on Corellia drinking good ale, not the shit they have here. Of course, getting home means helping all of you…." a frustrated Chancellor told her.

Bastila looked unbelievingly at Carth and Daram, who only nodded that his story was true, "Even if this farce of a story is true, what do you suggest we do now. I need time to make up a plan to get us off Taris."

"It's great to see you're so polite," the Jedi Master retorted, "I actually have the Sith launch codes. It was a cakewalk. The One Sith under Darth Krayt were so much more formidable than the idiots running around here calling themselves Sith."

He shoved the datapad with the launch codes in her face, "Here take it. I have a starfighter to repair before I meet you." Sion angrily stalked off to go back to the Upper City.

Bastila, Daran, Carth, Zaalbar, and Mission were back in the apartment on the Upper City plotting how to get off the planet. The Jedi Princess couldn't help but feel the sting of emotional pain Sion had caused her. She decided to give the Chancellor a piece of her mind.

Sion bought some parts from a junk dealer to fix the hyperdrive on his plane, which he was in the process of doing when a Mandalorian came up to him. "Canderous Ordo, to what do I owe the pleasure?" the exasperated Jedi muttered.

"So you've heard of me. That's to be expected since I'm in the Exchange. I'm not going to waste your time. I heard that there was a break-in at the Sith base, and I know it was you. You have those launch codes I need, and I can get you and your friends a ship that will get us off this planet. So what do you say?" Canderous floated a proposition to Sion.

Before the Jedi could answer, Bastila tapped Sion's shoulder from behind, "Remember me? The woman you dissed before walking out. No one treats me like that, and I want an apology."

He ignored her and spoke to Canderous, "That sounds good to me. There's an apartment the others are staying at that I was told about. We'll meet you there."

The Mandalorian smiled, "Pleasure doing business with you."

He walked away before Bastila had a chance to protest. The enraged young woman pounded on Sion's shoulders, "What are you thinking?! Taking help from that lowlife won't get us anywhere!"

The Jedi Master turned around, "It's the only way we'll be able to get a ship. I have my starfighter, but the rest of you need something to get off this planet. And you would do well to trust me."

The Padawan realized he was probably right about Canderous, but she was still pissed that he had ignored her, "Is this how you treat all the women you come across? Of course it is, you're a man. I shouldn't expect anything different."

He had finished the hyperdrive repairs at last and concentrated solely on Bastila, "Listen to me, I know everything. Where the Star Maps are located, the fact that Vrook's a moron, and Daran's real name…"

She shrunk back on hearing what he said, "Daran isn't anyone. He's just a soldier."

Sion rolled his eyes, "You and I both know that he's Revan. I'm going to tell him once we get off Taris, and then I'm going to re-teach him the ways of the Jedi. I assure you my knowledge will be much more useful to him than what those codgy Jedi Masters on Dantooine will do." Knowing that it was hopeless to keep up the charade, Bastila gave in, "It's true he's Revan, but you can't tell him. He could turn to the dark side again. It's better to let the Jedi Council handle this."

He decided to put it all on the line, "Bastila, I know you don't trust me, but I have everyone's best interests at heart. I got the launch codes, helped you, and I know many things. What does the Force tell you?"

She cringed at his question. Common sense told her to view this man with suspicion, but the Force told her that his intentions were pure. Hesitating at first, she made up her mind, "I will trust you, even though every fiber of my being is telling me not to. You seem to care for me, but I can't let emotions get in the way of my mission."

She was right, he did care for her, _I can't get rid of the feeling that I'm attracted to her. Why is that? She's rude, uptight, and bossy. I should hate her guts, but I don't. Maybe this is what love feels like?_

Sion walked to the apartment with Bastila, struggling over what he was feeling. Before they got there, he asked her something, "Why don't you wear your hair down? Wouldn't it be easier that way?"

She shrugged, "It's just one of the ways of the Jedi. I'm not encouraged to show individuality." Sion reached over to the bands keeping her pigtails in place, "Please, let me help you. I promise you'll feel better."

Bastila was uneasy at this, but did nothing to stop him taking the bands off and releasing her brown locks.

He saw her hair down, _She looks so beautiful… Like an angel. I can't let anything happen to her, Leviathan or not._

She felt free with her hair no longer restrained, _He was right. It does feel liberating. Look at him eyeing me. He may be falling in love. What if he is?! What should I do?_

The two conflicted Jedi walked into the apartment to join the others, their opinions of one another completely changed.

It was not long before Canderous had them all inside Davik Kang's estate with the starfighter being confiscated by the Exchange. With Revan's sense of direction and cunning, they were able to quickly find the codes to disable the Ebon Hawk's shields. The Sith began bombing the planet as the entire party made a run for the ship. They were stopped by Davik and Calo Nord, who tried to kill them. Sion killed Calo with ease while Revan took out Davik. They all boarded the ship except for Sion, who recovered his starfighter and followed the Ebon Hawk as it finally left Taris' orbit. There was a Sith contingent of fighters to deal with, but with Revan manning the guns and Sion blasting fighters out of the sky with his starfighter, it was an easy battle. At long last, the Ebon Hawk and the Aurelia, Sion's name for his ship, went into hyperspace towards Dantooine.


	3. Chapter 3

During the long flight, Sion attached his aircraft to a cable on the Ebon Hawk and went down into the ship. After sleeping for a time, he sat on a cushion and meditated. There was the sound of footsteps in his cabin, and he opened his eyes to see Revan.

"You said you wanted to tell me something. I think I'd like to hear what it is," Revan stood in front of him.

Sion nodded, knowing that things were about to get very interesting, "See that the door is closed. I want no one to disturb us."

The former Dark Lord did as he was asked and sat next to the Jedi Master, "Now, what is it you wanted to tell me?"

Sion took a deep breath, "You have been having visions lately. That of a masked man named Revan facing Bastila and a few other Jedi on a ship. Then there is an explosion and Revan is left barely alive with Bastila looking over him. Does this sound familiar?"

Revan had a slight look of shock on his face, "I have been having these visions lately. I'm still not sure what to make of it. I thought it might be Bastila projecting something on to me. At times, I thought maybe I was Revan, but he died."

"The truth is, Daran, you are Revan. Bastila somehow managed to keep you alive long enough for the Jedi Council to erase your memories and implant you with this soldier identity. They wanted you to lead them to the Star Forge, a ship-building facility, so they could defeat your forces and keep the Republic intact. That explosion was caused by your apprentice Malak betraying you. I'm sorry for telling you this. I wish I didn't have to…" he looked down, almost in shame.

Revan was dumbfounded, literally unable to speak. He believed what Sion had told him, but it just seemed so unreal. "I-I don't know what to say. How could this be true? I'm just a pawn for the Jedi Council?!" he stuttered.

"To the Council, yes. To Bastila, no. You and she have a Force bond that started when she saved you."

"Why did she not tell me?"

"The Council forced her not to. She wanted to, but she had no choice," Sion lied to Revan.

The man was seething with anger and shock, almost on the verge of tears, "All of this has been a lie… What do I do now? Just pretend I don't know who I am once we face the Council at Dantooine?"

The Jedi decided to keep his promise, "Let me retrain you. What I can teach you far surpasses anything the Jedi Council can do. I have fought more Sith lords than I care to count, and have survived each time while killing most of them."

Revan looked at him, "You would do that?"

Sion nodded.

"What do we tell the Council? They're not going to take this very well. I mean, I would rather deal with someone I know than a bunch of people who see me as just a pawn," Revan was becoming cautiously optimistic.

"From what I know of the Masters of this time period, the only person we should have any problem is Vrook Lamar. If I can best him in a sparring session, then we will be all set. We'll need to get Bastila on board, though," Sion formulated a plan.

"Thanks for telling me this. It's nice to know that there's someone honest around here," Revan tried in vain to crack a smile.

The Chancellor nodded as he got up to find Bastila.

The Jedi Princess was sitting in the co-pilot's chair next to Carth when she sensed Sion coming for her.

He put his hand on her shoulder, "We have much to discuss."

She got up and went with him to her cabin, "You told him, didn't you?"

"I did, and I also told him you were forced to keep his identity a secret. A lie, but better than him being upset with you," he explained.

"How did he take it?"

"Other than the surprise and anger, he actually took it pretty well. I offered to retrain him, and he accepted."

Bastila was uncertain about this, "Are you sure this is such a good idea? The Jedi Council will do a great job with him."

Sion shook his head, "Revan's already pissed off enough with them as is. Besides, he knows me, and I can be a better teacher than those Jedi. No disrespect."

"How do you plan to persuade them to go along with this?"

"The only Master I see being a problem is Vrook, and I can defeat him sparring. I have all my bases covered."

"Talking about me?" Revan poked his head in.

"I just finished telling Bastila about my plan, and she has agreed to go along with it," Sion informed him.

"Good, that's the first positive news I've heard in a while. I wish you had told me the truth, Bastila, but I understand why you didn't. No more secrets from now on, okay?" Revan stuck out his hand.

"That sounds good," Bastila shook it, but couldn't help feeling the connection between her and Revan.

Sion was not oblivious to this. At first, all he could think about was getting home, but now Bastila gave him a reason to stay, if only temporarily.

Darth Malak was infuriated that Bastila had managed to escape his clutches on Taris.

Admiral Saul Karath interrupted him on the bridge, "My Lord, there is some interesting information about two of Bastila's companions…"

Malak didn't even turn around, "I hope you're not wasting my time. I will not tolerate any more failures."

"You will be very interested to find out what I have to say, my Lord," Karath said as the Leviathan drifted near the remnants of Taris.

The Ebon Hawk landed on Dantooine after several hours more. While Bastila went to have an audience with the Jedi Council, Sion climbed up a shaft into the Aurelia. As he was about to start the engine, Revan climbed up after him.

"You mind if I take the co-pilot's seat? I want to see how good this thing is," he asked the Master.

"Why not? If we're going to be master and apprentice, might as well start now," Sion agreed. Revan eagerly strapped himself in as the Chancellor fired up the engine, closed the top cockpit door, and gently eased the starfighter into the air.

The ease with which it made difficult turns and spins, and the sheer speed it went through the air amazed Revan, "So this is 4,000 years worth of technology? Damn, this thing is good!"

Sion smiled as he searched for the ancient ruins that housed the Star Map, "Glad you like it. Keep an eye out for any ruins. Our Star Map will be there."

Revan kept a sharp watch and spotted the ruins, "I see them! Down there by all those kath hounds."

He landed the aircraft a safe distance from the creatures and got out, followed by Revan.

Sion started to walk toward the ruins when he noticed Revan was lagging behind him, "Are you alright?"

His new apprentice shrugged, "Shouldn't Bastila be here for this? It just doesn't seem right without her being here."

The Master shot him a quizzical look, "You have feelings for her?"

"I guess I do, even if she is an insufferable nerf herder…"

"Such emotions are natural and part of being human. There is no shame in feeling and acting on them when the actions are good-intentioned and reasonable. Out of all the lessons I teach you, remember that one the most. Now let's get what we came for…" Sion surprised Revan with his philosophy.

He had thought the Jedi frowned upon emotion, but this man did not. He followed his master as they approached the kath hounds.

Sion stopped, "Another lesson is never fight when you don't have to. If a peaceful solution is present, take it."

As the kath hounds approached to attack, he used his mind to ease the fears of the animals. They slowly backed away and went back to grazing.

Revan was astonished, "That was amazing! You have to teach me how to do that."

"In good time, my apprentice. In good time," Sion chuckled as they came to the entrance of the ruins, "I believe this is where you come in. You remember this place?"

"From my dreams, yes. I was there with Malak, and we went in and found the Star Map. I'll try and open it," Revan put his hand on the center panel.

The panel shrank back a bit and the door opened for them. The two men walked beside each other and came to a droid.

"Just ignore the droid and enter one of the doorways off to the side. There will be a computer there that will ask you some simple questions. Once you're done, part of the main doorway will be unlocked. I will take care of the other computer," his master told him.

Revan nodded and did as he was asked, answering questions about life-giving environments. Sion answered question about death-giving environments and walked out to meet Revan. They went through the now-unlocked door and saw the stand housing the Star Map spring open and a ball emit a map of the galaxy.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Master Sion marveled at the sight.

Revan remembered this, "It's all coming back to me now. This tells me part of the coordinates for the location of the Star Forge. I'll copy it down." He took out a datapad and entered in the coordinates, "It seems Tatooine, Kashyyk, Manaan, and Korriban have the other Star Maps. We'll obviously have to go to those places to learn the full location.

Sion was pleased, "Good work, Revan. We have what we came for. Now to the Jedi Enclave to tell what we have found."

"Oh God!" Revan rolled his eyes as they walked back to the Aurelia.

Bastila had been explaining what happened to the Jedi Council. It went well until she mentioned the Jedi Master who had joined her party.

Master Zhar Lestin was bewildered, "Who is this Sion Visar? There is no record of him in the Jedi Archives."

"There's a reason for that," Bastila dreaded having to tell the truth about Sion's arrival.

"Perhaps that reason is that he's a Sith or a dark Jedi, and has cloaked his intentions," Master Vrook Lamar cautioned.

The young Padawan sighed, "I assure you, Master Vrook, he has no ill intent. In fact, he helped me escape from the Vulkars and retrieved the Sith launch codes on Taris. His abilities are profound, and the Force tells me he can be trusted. The reason he's not known to you is that he's from a different time…"

"This is indeed a surprise. I did not think time travel was possible. How can you be sure that this man isn't lying?" Master Dorak asked.

"He claims that he was flying his starfighter when his hyperdrive malfunctioned and took him across the continuum to Taris. As I have said before, I believe him. He knows things…" Bastila answered.

"What kinds of things?" Master Vandar Tokare inquired.

"Sion knew what happened to me, the locations of the Star Maps, about the Star Forge, everything…" she replied.

Just then, a loud boom shattered the still air as the Aurelia shot over the enclave and made a sharp loop in the sky as it came back for another pass. It landed right in the meeting space. Revan hopped out from the pilot's seat while Sion got up from the copilot's chair.

The Jedi Masters were in shock at this sudden landing, but more so when they heard what Sion had to say, "Greetings, Masters, my name is Sion Visar. And this is my apprentice, the man you used to know as Darth Revan. And yes, I did tell him his true identity. Better for him to know now than in a more compromising situation…"

Vrook lost it, "You are everything the Jedi preach against. Arrogance flows through you, and your lies impress no one!"

Sion grinned, "Why don't you prove it, Vrook? Beat me in a duel. You win, Revan's fate is decided by the Council. I win, we do things my way."

Vandar tried to put a stop to this, "There is no need to decide things in such a way. I'm sure we can find common ground."

"It's already been decided," Vrook ignited his lightsaber.

"Revan, Bastila, you may want to stand back," Sion activated his green saber.

Vrook and Sion circled each other, each intent on making their move. Vrook was the first one to strike, unleashing a flurry of blows. Sion deflected them easily and drove him back with swift, precise stabs that forced the Master to concentrate all his energy on defense.

The Chancellor patiently waited for an opening, and struck when Vrook left his face unguarded for a moment. A searing elbow sent him staggering back.

Sion took a few steps back, "Is that all you got? I've fought Sith Padawans who are better than you!"

Vrook's anger got the better of him as he screamed and went after Sion. Revan's master was surprised at the man's fury and desperately fought off the attacks. He leaped up to the roof and flipped back down behind Vrook.

With that, the battle continued for several minutes until Sion Force-pushed Vrook away from him. He used the opportunity to dive under a strike and slice Vrook's legs.

The blow stung the ranking Jedi Master as he had been humbled, "I can't believe you beat me… This wasn't supposed to happen…"

The other Masters were stunned to see Vrook beaten so thoroughly as Sion slowly circled Vrook, "Revan will be my apprentice, and I want command of the expedition to find the Star Forge. Revan and I have already found the first Star Map, so we are ready to leave as soon as possible." Vandar nodded, "We will take your words under advisement and let you know our decision. Please return to your ship until then."

Sion nodded and led Bastila and Revan back to the Ebon Hawk.

Bastila was still reeling from seeing Vrook get embarrassed by Sion. Seeing the Chancellor stand over the fallen Master after such a complete victory caused her to question everything she knew. All of her beliefs in the infallibility of the Jedi, their teachings, and her natural faith in them came crashing down.

She saw Sion sitting on his bed, deep in thought. _This man balances light and dark so easily. His skill with a lightsaber is unmatched, and his command of the Force is unheard of. He beat Master Vrook so easily… If I am to reach his heights and be able to enjoy my emotions, then maybe I should…_

She had made up her mind as she walked into his cabin, "Sion, there's something I need to ask you."

He looked up at her, "Please sit. What do you want to know?"

Bastila sat next to him, "What you did to Vrook was completely unexpected. I have never seen someone with your abilities, with the possible exception of Darth Revan. It seems to come so naturally to you, and you are a master of emotions. Can you teach me to become that good?" Sion gave his answer some careful thought, "Bastila, Revan is only going to be my apprentice for a short time. It will not take long to re-teach him what he already knows. Once that happens, he will be ready to take on Malak and win. What you are asking me goes well beyond that. You are still a young Padawan with much to learn, no disrespect intended. I can teach you to become what I am, but it will take years just as it took me. And once I am able, I will be going back to my own time. If you want me to train you, then you must be willing to make that sacrifice. Leaving all that you know behind, and heading for an unknown future…"

Her facial expression turned to one of sadness, "You can't stay here?"

"My home is back in the present on Corellia. My place is as Supreme Chancellor. The people there depend on me. I can't just leave them," he explained reluctantly.

"Not even if I tell you I care for you? A Jedi is not supposed to feel such emotions, but…" she confessed to him.

He put his hand in hers, "Never let anyone tell you what you can and cannot feel. If you do not feel, then you lose any sense of being human…"

In that moment, Bastila kissed Sion deeply.

He pulled back for a moment, "Are you sure about this? How do you know what my feelings for you are?"

She smiled, "Call it intuition. Ever since we were on Taris, I've felt something for you. I know I can trust you, foolish as that may sound."

Sion nodded, "I am attracted to you. Why I don't know…"

Bastila went to kiss him again, and this time he didn't refuse.

It continued on for a few minutes until Mission knocked on the door, "The Council has made their decision, Sion. They want us to meet with them."

Sion pulled away from Bastila, "I'll be right out, Mission."

She looked at him for a second as she adjusted her hair, "We need to keep this secret. The others can't be distracted from our mission, especially Revan."

"Agreed. I'll go out first and then you go when everyone else is gone," he suggested.

She nodded as he collected himself and exited the cabin with the door shutting behind him. Once a few minutes had passed, Bastila discreetly did the same. Now that the whole group was present, they went back to the enclave to hear the Council's decision.

The Council was waiting for them as they came in, led by Bastila, Sion, and Revan. Master Vandar addressed them, "After much deliberation, we have decided to send all of you on the expedition to find the Star Forge. Sion will command as per his request. Know that the Republic is counting on all of you, and we wish the Force to be with you."

"Thank you, Master Vandar. I appreciate the Council's faith in me. We will leave as soon as possible," Sion agreed, "By the way, you might not want to stay on Dantooine. Malak's going to bomb it at some point."

Vandar nodded as the group left for the Ebon Hawk while Sion and Bastila got into the Aurelia. "I've always wanted to fly in a starfighter. How is this one?" she asked.

"Wait and find out," Sion grinned as he strapped in to the pilot's seat.

Bastila sat behind him and buckled herself in.

The Aurelia took off and zoomed through Dantooine's orbit, followed by the Ebon Hawk. They jumped to hyperspace for the journey to Tatooine.


	4. Chapter 4

The Ebon Hawk landed in Anchorhead while the Aurelia touched down just outside the settlement. Bastila and Sion met Revan and the others in the local cantina.

"So what's the plan?" Revan asked his master.

"The Star Map is located in the Dune Sea in a krayt dragon cave. However, we need to stay her for a time so I can train you. I'm sure there are places where we can stay and lay low for a while," Sion answered, "Mission, Carth, Zaalbar, you three go look for a place we can stay while I take Bastila, Revan, and Canderous for a look around."

The three did so while Sion sat back and ordered a Corellian ale, "Ah, that's good stuff. Seems like forever since I've had one of these."

"I'll have what he's having," Bastila ordered a drink of her own.

"Smitten with the Jedi Master, are we?" Canderous poked fun at her.

"Not at all, unless you're jealous, Canderous," she retorted.

The Chancellor laughed and Revan snickered a little at this.

Canderous smirked, "I can tell you're swooning over him. For a Jedi, you're not very good at hiding your emotions."

"That's enough, Canderous. What Bastila feels or doesn't feel for me is none of your concern. One thing I will not tolerate is you annoying her. As long as I am the commander of this expedition, you will follow my orders and quit teasing her. Is that understood?" Sion snarled in a low voice.

The Mandalorian was shocked at the Master's outburst. He didn't have anything to say in response.

_So much for keeping us a secret…_ Bastila communicated to him through the Force.

_I'm not going to sit back and watch him do that to you. Now let's finish our drinks and concentrate on training Revan_, Sion replied as he gulped down his ale.

She nodded as there was uncomfortable silence in the cantina.

The next several weeks were spent on the outskirts of the Dune Sea. Sion put Revan through vigorous training, which put even the level of training of the Jedi Order to shame. He drove the former Sith lord mercilessly, teaching him almost everything he knew about the Force and lightsaber training. The Chancellor was happy to see that Revan lived up to his expectations, since he was up to the level of a Jedi Knight by the time two months had passed. Sion anointed him as a Knight, and then trained him for a few more weeks until he felt he could defeat Malak. In the meantime, Sion and Bastila's relationship had flowered into something good for both of them. He trained her as well, although at a much slower and gentler pace than Revan. Gradually, she began to let herself feel and balance her emotions with her newfound sense of Jedi training. The two of them kept things private, but Revan was growing fond of her as well. At last Sion felt Revan was done with his training and made plans to retrieve the Star Map. There wasn't much he could do to counter a krayt dragon without killing it, but maybe he could distract it long enough for Revan to retrieve the coordinates from the Star Map.

He met Revan and Bastila alone near the cave.

"As I've told you, that creature in there is a big obstacle to getting the map coordinates. I'm going to be the bait for drawing this big monster out of his home and keeping him out while you get the coordinates," Sion pointed out.

"What about me?" Bastila asked her new master.

"I want you to use your newfound power to aid me through a Force meld. It will help to develop your mental stamina and communicate over distance," he told her.

She agreed to this and they set out to the edge of the cave and got into position.

Sion threw a couple of frag grenades into the cave and looked at both of his companions, "Now might be a good time to get back a few feet…"

They did so just as two thunderous explosions sounded inside. A huge roar came from the cavern as the big krayt dragon slowly emerged. The Jedi Master began yelling at it to draw its attention to him, and took off running as the creature began its pursuit.

Once the dragon was far enough away, Revan sprinted into the cave and found the Star Map in the back. He quickly took down the coordinates.

With Bastila's meld providing him extra energy, Sion was able to put some distance between him and the dragon. She let know through the meld that Revan had retrieved the coordinates. He kept running until the creature was considerably behind him and decided to give up. It returned to the cave as Revan and Bastila caught up with Sion. They returned to their lodgings to refresh themselves and talk over what had happened.

Sion was going over in his memory of where the Star Map on Kashyyyk was when Bastila came back from discussing plans with the others.

She sat on the bed next to him, "We're leaving for Kashyyyk tomorrow. Do you remember where the Star Map is?"

"It's someplace in the Lower Shadowlands, guarded by a computerized device set by the Rakata, an ancient species who created the Star Forge. That's all I remember from my studies of this expedition," Sion answered.

"That's a good start. It's a good thing that we have you, otherwise this mission would be a lot harder," Bastila smiled at him.

He looked into her eyes, "When all this is over, will you come with me to the present? Corellia's a lovely place to live, and it would be so much better with you in my life."

She slumped back on a pillow, "I honestly don't know. I love you, Sion, and want to become a Master as powerful as you are, but I'd be leaving behind everything I know…"

"It's alright. You don't have to decide right now, but I hope you come with me…" Sion kissed her as they rested for the next day's journey.


End file.
